There is no point in having 3 currencies if you are going to let one be converted directly into the other. Just scrap shards and make everything cost gold and convert all existing shards players have into gold. There is ZERO point in having both.

Guys just a tip which could help everyone - the team, blizzard results and players. Provide community templates what to deliver to create a new skin - so anyone interested with creativity, skill and willingness could send you a nearly ready skin proposal giving away also the right to skin to blizz. You as blizz could add this skin to collection and earn “gems” and as exchange maybe you could include authors name in skins name.

players and fans could become more involved

players could have a fan with more content

blizzard could get more money from hots

blizz team could get some nice free arts/half-ready skins to implement them

Can we make Kaeo the officially game director now? Great post Kaeo. Love the game. The future changes sound great. I’m looking forward to seeing you guys flex your creative muscles for the upcoming spring event.

Blizzard. This is coming from someone that has every character unlocked. If you really want to reduce the barrier to entry for new players, just make all heroes free all the time. If you still want to cash in on new heroes, give them two weeks where they are locked unless you buy the “gem only” skin pack with them. I don’t personally agree with that, but you do whatever you need to monetize the game. It would be just another change in the wake of everything collapsing that would allow you to get and retain more new players. Joining up a game where you have thousands of hours of work just to be on the same level playing field as someone who has been playing for years is a daunting task and I’m sure many of them just see that mountain and walk away.